Chiropractic OnLine Today's
In The News feature: Part Fifteen.

April 11, 1997 - May 14, 1997

KAISER PROGRAMS OFFER ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR STRESS, PAIN - A series of innovative Kaiser programs is teaching alternative behavioral techniques to help people deal with stress-related disorders, chronic pain and disease. [Business Wire, 731 words]

SANTA ROSA EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM SHOWS PREVENTION IS MORE COST-EFFECTIVE IN THE END - Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa is making a commitment to the well-being of its employees through an innovative program intended to promote health, happiness and increased productivity. [Business Wire, 537 words]

LOSS OF SMELL MAY OFFER CLUES ABOUT PARKINSON'S - Most patients with Parkinson's disease have trouble smelling, which could offer clues to the cause and diagnosis of the disease, British researchers reported on Monday. [Reuters, 312 words] AAHP POLICIES HIGHLIGHT CENTRAL ROLE OF PHYSICIAN DECISION-MAKING IN ADDRESSING HEALTH PLAN PATIENT NEEDS LATEST STEPS IN ONGOING INITIATIVE BUILD ON TRADITION OF PHYSICIAN <> - Today, the American Association of Health Plans announced the adoption of policies reaffirming the central role of physician decision-making in meeting the needs of health plan patients. [PR Newswire, 1216 words]

NEW NAME FOR INSURER'S FOR-PROFIT FIRM - ALBANY -- Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the state's largest non-profit health insurance company, has found a name it may use when it creates a for-profit parent company. [ALBANY TIMES UNION, 268 words]

SACHS HMO HONOR ROLL IDENTIFIES NATION'S TOP HEALTH PLANS - Thirteen health plans were identified as the nation's best through Sachs HMO Honor Roll - 1997, announced today by Sachs Group. The annual Honor Roll recognizes an elite group of health plans rated superior in their markets by their members. [Business Wire, 624 words]

The plans on the Honor Roll are:

FDA SETS STANDARDS FOR WIRES FOR HEALTH DEVICES - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday set new safety standards for electrical wires that connect patients to medical devices. The FDA said the rule applies to wires called cables and leads that are used with breathing, heart, and brain wave monitors. [Reuters, 151 words]

ANTI-GAG RULE BILL WOULD BAR WIDELY USED PRACTICES BY MANAGED CARE PLANS, BLUE CROSS/BLUE SHIELD ANALYSIS ARGUES; HR 586 HAS 283 CO-SPONSORS. - ANTI-GAG RULE BILL's BAN ON PLAN POLICIES THAT "RESTRICT" MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS is too broad and would pre-empt the use of commonly used instructions and directions by managed care plans, an analysis prepared by the attorney Mark S. Joffe for the Blue Cross & Blue Shield Association [Health News Daily, 845 words]

ASSEMBLY PANEL OKS BILL ON DOCTORS' RECORDS BUT MALPRACTICE PAYMENTS WOULDN'T GO ON INTERNET - A bill to put doctors' secret disciplinary records on the Internet has passed its first legislative test -- but without a key provision that would allow consumers to find out about a physician's malpractice settlements. [SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, 586 words]

HMOS, PROVIDERS SPAR OVER LATE PAYMENTS - Hospitals and doctors lambasted HMOs yesterday for late payments they said jeopardized operations and were "immoral," while insurance officials shot back that problems were exaggerated - that they, too, were hobbled by millions in late payments by New York State. [NEW YORK NEWSDAY, 377 words]

LOWER HOUSE PASSES HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM BILL - TOKYO, May 8 _ The House of Representatives passed a national health insurance bill Thursday that doubles the share of medical bills most insured patients have to pay. [Kyodo, 317 words]

ALIGNIS SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH BEECH STREET; EXPANDS HEALTH AND WORKERS' COMPENSATION BUSINESS - Alignis Inc., a national alternative managed health care company Thursday announced an agreement with Beech Street Corp. to provide chiropractic service to Beech Street clients. [Business Wire, 270 words]

DECISION RESOURCES FORECASTS THE MARKET POTENTIAL OF EMERGING DRUGS FOR CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT - Currently, the world pain management market is worth an estimated $11.5 billion. More than 4 million cancer patients suffer chronic, debilitating pain. [PR Newswire, 451 words]

LIVING LONGER MAY MEAN LOWER MEDICARE COSTS, STUDY FINDS; PANEL ISSUES SURPRISING CONCLUSIONS ON HOW OLDER PEOPLE DIE /CAUTION -- ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 10/00 AM, MONDAY, MAY 5/ - The longer you live, the lower your health care costs may be when you die, according to the Alliance for Aging Research, which today released the most comprehensive analysis to date examining health costs of older Americans at the end of life. [PR Newswire, 699 words]

THAILAND TO ENCOURAGE USE OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE - The Public Health Ministry of Thailand will promote the use of traditional herbal medicine to reduce spending on imported ones. Records show that 6.7 billion baht was spent on imported medicine in 1987, and the figure increased to 14 billion baht in 1993. [XINHUA, 137 words]

SCHOLARS CALL FOR POPULARIZATION OF CHINESE MEDICINE IN HK - A number of scholars in Hong Kong today stressed the need to popularize the traditional Chinese medicine in Hong Kong, noting that it is necessary to bring it into the regular medical system here. [XINHUA, 204 words]

HMOS TRIPLE FEES FOR DOCTOR VISITS - Health maintenance organizations have changed dramatically as they have grown in the past decade, including tripling fees patients pay to see a doctor, a researcher said. [Reuters, 229 words]

1997 RIMS REPORT/ LEAVE ACT SHOULDN'T SCARE EMPLOYERS/ COMPANIES STILL HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER EMPLOYEE TIME OFF/ EXPERTS - ATLANTA-Like meter maids watching the clock, employers need to be more vigilant with employees who take time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, or risk being taken advantage of in a thorny legal environment. [Business Insurance, 921 words]

KANSAS TO REQUIRE BACCALUAREATE DEGREE FOR LICENSURE
May 1, 1997

The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts yesterday formally adopted an administrative rule which requires that chiropractic applicants have a baccalaureate degree PRIOR to entering chiropractic college. The Kansas baccalaureate requirement applies to all chiropractic applicants who begin chiropractic college on or after January 1, 1999.

Kansas thus joins Maryland and Florida as the only three states which require a baccalaureate degree before entering chiropractic college. The baccalaureate requirement was supported by the leadership of the Kansas Chiropractic Association and the three chiropractic members of the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts.

HEART ATTACKS TOP WORLD DEATH LIST, REPORT FINDS@ (RELEASE AT 2300 GMT THURSDAY, MAY 1) - A report published on Friday finds that heart attacks and stroke are the leading causes of death worldwide, even in the developing world. [Reuters, 197 words]

FDA PANEL HEARS LAXATIVE INGREDIENT CARCINOGENIC - A panel of federal health advisers on Wednesday heard new data that an ingredient common to stimulant laxatives may cause cancer in mice when given in high doses, but the committee did not make a decision if the data may be applicable to humans. [Reuters, 341 words]

HEALTHCARE VISION INTRODUCES A NEW AFFORDABLE TELEMEDICINE SOLUTION TO EXPAND THE EYES AND EARS OF A DIAGNOSTICIAN TO ALL PATIENT LOCATIONS - Columbia/HCA Healthcare to Conduct Field Testing of New Telemedicine HealthCare Vision, Inc. today announced that its new telemedicine solution, HealthCare Vision , is available for installation. [Business Wire, 1649 words]

25 MORE HMOS FINED FOR FAILURE TO INFORM ENROLLEES OF 800 NUMBER - Corporations Commissioner Keith Paul Bishop Thursday announced that he has issued case-and-desist orders and fines to an additional 25 HMOs for failure to inform enrollees of their right to complain to a state 800 number about quality-of-care problems. [Business Wire, 525 words]

According to this article, "The results of our study suggest that manipulation is to be preferred to (physical therapy) for treating shoulder complaints originating from the shoulder girdle ...." The study also provides results for preferred treatment for shoulder joint pain. Reuters 5/2/97

In the largest study yet to suggest exercise can play a role in preventing cancer, women who exercised at least four hours weekly reduced their risk of breast cancer by 37 percent.

Detailing their report in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers say they recorded the exercise habits of nearly 26,000 women between the ages of 20 and 54, starting in 1974. Over the 14-year period of the study, they found that women who exercised the most - at least four hours each week - lowered their risk of breast cancer by 37 percent.

Note: As always, COT advises receiving a full musculoskeletal and cardiac evaluation prior to beginning a new exercise regimen. UPI 5/1/97

BLENDED ACUPUNCTURE/CHIROPRACTIC HMO BENEFIT FIRST OF ITS KIND IN STATE; LANDMARK HEALTHCARE FURTHERS IDEA OF ALTERNATIVE CARE IN MANAGED CARE SETTINGS - Landmark Chiropractic IPA of California, a subsidiary of Landmark Healthcare, Inc. and a chiropractic provider network which contracts with HMOs to provide managed care services, has teamed with San Jose-based Lifeguard, Inc. [Business Wire, 406 words]

EQUAL TREATMENT FOR MENTAL HEALTH UNLIKELY TO BOOST PREMIUMS - The cost of mandating equal benefits for mental and physical illnesses would be unlikely to increase insurance premiums for managed care patients by more than a few dollars per year, according to an interim report by the National Advisory Mental Health Council released Tuesday. [CONGRESS DAILY A.M., 208 words]

GENE MAKES FOR MIGHTY MICE, RESEARCHERS SAY@ (RELEASE AT 1800 GMT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30) - Deleting a single gene creates a musclebound mouse whose physiology could help scientists treat diseases such as muscular dystrophy or grow bigger farm animals, researchers reported on Wednesday. [Reuters, 183 words]

OXFORD STILL LATE PAYING ITS BILLS - State Attorney General Dennis Vacco said yesterday that Oxford Health Plans - the largest managed-care plan on Long Island - has failed to comply with a March agreement to process millions of dollars in late claims to doctors within 30 days. [NEW YORK NEWSDAY, 427 words]

http://www.intelihealth.com/ih/ihtNewsDetail?c=34093

Reuters 4/30/97

NEW VACCINE PREVENTS AIDS INFECTION IN CHIMPS@ RELEASE AT 5 P.M. EDT (2100 GMT) - Researchers reported on Tuesday they had successfully vaccinated two chimpanzees against the virus that causes AIDS, pointing the way to possible use of the technique in humans. [Reuters, 587 words]

U.S. SENATORS ASK RENO TO SUE TOBACCO COMPANIES - Five Democratic senators Tuesday asked Attorney General Janet Reno to file suit against tobacco companies to recover the federal government's cost of treating smoking-related illnesses. [Reuters, 248 words]

Symptoms of the problem can include an increased need to urinate at night and a decreased urine flow. Up to 40 percent of all men over the age of 50 develop the condition to some degree. UPI 4/25/97

MITOKOR REPORTS MUTATIONS IN MITOCHONDRIAL DNA MAY BE CAUSE OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE LARGE SUBSET OF ALZHEIMER'S CASES MAY BE MATERNALLY INHERITED - Findings to be published in the April 29 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences link Alzheimer's disease with a specific set of mutations in mitochondrial DNA, according to scientists from MitoKor and its academic collaborators ... [PR Newswire, 659 words]

HEALTH PLAN PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKING STUDY ENABLES EMPLOYERS TO IDENTIFY BEST HEALTH PLANS; TOWERS PERRIN STUDY FINDS 15% OF PLANS HIGH PERFORMERS - A performance benchmarking study of health maintenance organizations and point of service managed health care plans, developed by Towers Perrin, has found that almost 15% of health plans are able to achieve the optimal combination ... [PR Newswire, 990 words]

EMPLOYERS' SIMPLE STEPS ARE KEY TO REDUCING COMP COSTS, STUDY SAYS - ATLANTA-A new survey of workers injured on the job affirms prevailing notions that employers with return-to-work programs and that maintain contact with employees after they're hurt have the best chance of holding down workers compensation costs. [Business Insurance, 993 words]

HEALTH CARE PORTABILITY LAW ADDS TO EMPLOYER DUTIES - WASHINGTON-Employers have less than two months to get their administrative systems in order to comply with the federal law that curbs their ability to exclude coverage for new employees' pre-existing medical conditions. [Business Insurance, 1111 words]

PIONEER SERVICES OPENS DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED MEDICAL PHYSICS; ANIMAL STUDY TO CLEAR SAFETY OF ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE FOR HUMANS - Pioneer Services International announced today that it opened its first clinical site, the Department of Applied Medical Physics, as part of the National Research and Medical Institute located on the campus of West Boca Medical Center. [PR Newswire, 389 words]

GERSON INSTITUTE OPENS ITS FIRST U.S. ALTERNATIVE CANCER TREATMENT CENTER; SEDONA, AZ FACILITY JOINS CENTERS IN MEXICO TO OFFER PROVEN GERSON(TM) THERAPY - For the first time in the U.S., patients suffering from cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases can receive the Gerson Therapy at a fully-accredited Gerson Healing Center facility. [PR Newswire, 411 words]

The Gerson Institute and the Gerson Association for Natural Medicine are nonprofit organizations dedicated to healing and preventing degenerative diseases through alternative therapies. For more than 20 years, the Institute has been dedicated to teaching patients to take responsibility for their own health and to offering a proven holistic method for achieving and maintaining wellness. The Gerson Institute has headquarters at
P.O. Box 430, Bonita, CA 91908;
Ph. 619-585-7600; Fax 619-585-7610;
Web: http://www.gerson.org ;
E- mail: info@gerson.org

Note: COT makes no claims as to the accuracy of the treatment offerred at any facilities mentioned on our pages. These items are provided for information purposes only.

TOP FRENCH AIDS RESEARCHER TO OPEN NY CENTER - The co-discoverer of the virus that causes AIDS was moving much of his research base from the famous Pasteur Institute in Paris to a publicly run New York City college, officials said on Friday. [Reuters, 438 words]

BACKSAFE INJURY PREVENTION PROGRAM IS MOST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION FOR REPETITIVE STRESS INJURIES - Future Industrial Technologies , leaders in injury prevention training, whose clients include Boeing, United Airlines, Chyrsler, Citibank, schools, hospitals and government agencies announced that after four years of research ... [Business Wire, 280 words]

REPUBLICANS PUSH U.S. MANAGED CARE REGULATIONS - Republican lawmakers Wednesday introduced legislation to impose tough new consumer protections on managed care plans, making it more likely Congress may act on the issue during the current session. [Reuters, 313 words]

• Low back pain disables 5 million in the USA and forces people to lose 93 million work days each year.
• 40 million suffer from recurrent headaches. They spend $4 billion a year on pain-relief medications.
• 66 million people have arthritis; one-third of them have to curtail their daily activities because of pain.
• Nearly 90% of terminal cancer patients have severe pain.

MEDICAL NEEDLING GETS NEW RESPECT - The needling of American is on the upswing. After 5,000 years, acupuncture is finally gaining the repect of both mainstream Western medicine and individuals who seek the benefits of this ancient form of healing. [CAPITAL TIMES/WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL, 855 words]

VITAMIN E, PARKINSON DRUG MAY SLOW ALZHEIMERS - STUDY@ RELEASE AT 5 P.M. EDT (2100 GMT) - Vitamin E and a drug used to treat Parkinson's disease may slow the deterioration caused by Alzheimer's disease, researchers reported on Wednesday. [Reuters, 518 words]

Note: As always, COT recommends that the advice of a qualified nutritional expert be obtained before beginning any new nutritional program.

NATIONAL LAUNCH OF RECOVERY NETWORK ESTABLISHES A FIRST IN TV HISTORY; NEW CABLE CHANNEL TARGETS 88 MILLION AMERICANS IN NEED OF SUPPORT - Recovery Network Inc., the world's only broadcast network devoted entirely to substance-abuse recovery and prevention, and to helping the millions of people affected by behavioral and mental-health problems, launched nationally Wednesday. [Business Wire, 713 words]

GLOBAL TELEMEDICINE CONFERENCE TO HELP HERALD HANDOVER OF HONG KONG - CHINA--In the first telemedicine conference to circle the globe during its 24-hour broadcast, "Moving With the Sun" will not only promote telemedicine in Hong Kong but also help herald the handover of Hong Kong to China. Beginning at the Prince of Wales Hospital at 4 p.m. [Comline, 166 words]

VIRGINIA'S LARGEST SMALL-BUSINESS GROUP INTRODUCES ECONOMICAL WORKERS COMPENSATION PROGRAM - Virginia small- and independent-business owners shopping for workers compensation insurance have a fresh option to consider. [Business Wire, 603 words]

FORMER FHP INTERNATIONAL SHAREHOLDERS FILE CLASS ACTION AGAINST CERTAIN FHP OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS - You are hereby notified that a class action lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of all persons who were the beneficial owners of shares of the common stock of FHP International Corporation ... [PR Newswire, 530 words]

ABS GROUP INC. SUBSIDIARY INTRODUCES NEW PRODUCTS AT ACAM CONVENTION, APRIL 24 IN TAMPA - Marine Research Pty. Ltd., , an Australian-based subsidiary of ABS Group Inc., will introduce new Sea Cucumber-based products at the Spring Conference of the American College for Advancement in Medicine , April 24 to 27, 1997 in Tampa, Florida. [PR Newswire, 619 words]

KAISER PERMANENTE AND SENIORNET PARTNER ONLINE - The nation's original health maintenance organization is teaming up with a national non-profit group to provide computer-using seniors with online message boards and real time events moderated by health professionals. [Business Wire, 516 words]

INSURANCE; AIDS PATIENTS' MEDICAID MAY EXPAND - Insurance; AIDS Patients' Medicaid May Expand The Clinton administration is looking into expanding Medicaid coverage for people afflicted with HIV, Vice President Al Gore said. [AIDS Weekly Plus, 283 words]

OCCUSYSTEMS AND CRA MANAGED CARE AGREE TO MERGE - CRA Managed Care, Inc. and OccuSystems, Inc. today jointly announced that the two companies have agreed to a merger that will create the nation's first fully integrated managed care company focused on workers' compensation cost containment. [Business Wire, 978 words]

DIRECT TO CONSUMER RX ADS AFFECTING PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP -- SCOTT-LEVIN - Ads encourage patients to become full participants in their health Direct-to-consumer ads for prescription products are helping to redefine the relationships among patients, physicians, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and healthcare payors. [Business Wire, 496 words]

PDUFA II, FDA REFORM, PATENT REFORM, PRIVACY ARE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR PHRMA - WASHINGTON _ Noting that control over FDA reform measures and the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug and User Fee Act has moved from Rockville to the Hill, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America outlined its legislative approach this week. [BioWorld, 801 words]

INCREASING CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH ADVANCES IN MANAGED CARE - Developing improved models of care and implementing them is the key to medicine's success in the next decade, according to William Likosky, MD, featured speaker at the "Advances in Managed Care" Conference. [PR Newswire, 334 words]

MALAYSIAN SPECIALISTS GET CONNECTED - MALAYSIA--The use of telemedicine, or the nationwide networking of government hospital specialists via multimedia computers using text, video, and audio, will undergo an initial application whereby the Langkawi Hospital will be linked to the Alor Star Hospital and the Labuan Hospital ... [Comline, 206 words]

P. 24: In the US alone, it is estimated that one million people spend over 100 million dollars a year on illegal anabolic steroids. Moreover; 48% of steroid users are 25 years or younger according to a review n Sports Medicine. The problem is rampant not only throughout professional and amateur sports, but at the adolescent level as well. Adolescent steroid users run an accelerated risk of addiction, very similar to that of narcotic drugs. In fact, recent studies indicate that the frequency of anabolic steroid use among younger users may be associated with the use of alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, cocaine and heroine.

The article goes on to say that coaches and parents should be aware of symptoms that can be associated with chronic steroid abuse. Not only will muscle mass and definition occur at a quickened pace, but users may suffer from high blood pressure, voice changes and hair growth in women, and the development of breasts in men.

Furthermore, testicular atrophy and impotence may occur in males. Erratic mood swings, depressive or mar symptoms, and increased aggressiveness, a.k.a. "Roid Rages," may be a signal of steroid use. New reports indicate that steroid use can seriously harm tendons and ligaments, to the point of life-ling scarring. Finally, because steroids can be injected using an intervenes needle, HIV transmission has been linked to sharing needles during steroid use.

P. 28: Want to flatten your stomach? Lose those love handles? Cultivate a washboard abdomen? IF you have not already invested in an "ab" device, you might just save your money, get down on the floor and start doing some crunches to get as good an effect as that from any of the popular devices. A study commissioned by the American Council of Exercise has shown that old-fashioned bent-leg sites are as effective as popular abdominal exercise gadgets in working midriff muscles. The study, directed by Dr. William Whiting from the University of California Northridge, found no overall advantage to the devices, which cost form $75 to $120, unless their purchase motivates someone to adopt and stick with the fitness program. Dr. Whiting took strong issue with the "infomercial" assertions that ab devices could help someone shed "ten poinds in ten days" or "four to six inches in a month." Dr. Whiting said that such advertising claims were based, not on the workout done using the devices, but on the nutrition and aerobic exercise program outlined in the brochures that accompany them.

Keynote Speakers are:
Dr. Richard Lapchick - Director of the Centre for the Study of Sport in Society,
Northeastern University, Boston.
Professor Les Burwitz - Manchester University, U.K.

Looking at all aspects of the future of sport in the world - Philosophical, Ethical, Sociological, Psychological, Physiological and Economic.

For Further Information Check out:

http://web.ait.ac.nz/homepages/staff/pmellow/AITconference/

COMPLETE WELLNESS CENTERS APPOINTS ERIC S. KAPLAN, D.C. - Complete Wellness Centers, Inc. , a Washington, D.C.-based developer and manager of integrated medical centers, announced today that it had elected Eric S. Kaplan, D.C., to its Board of Directors, expanding the board's membership to six. [Business Wire, 348 words]

SAVING MEDICARE IS A US VOTERS' PRIORITY - Voters in the 1996 US Presidential elections appear to have put a relatively high priority on ensuring the future viability of Medicare, according to an article in last week's Journal of the American Medical Association. [Marketletter, 294 words]

CALPERS HOLDS THE LINE ON HEALTH CARE RATES FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR; ADDS QUALITY & STABILITY - For the fifth straight year, the California Public Employees' Retirement System has held the line on health insurance premiums for its one million members, while adding improvements in the quality of medical care. [Business Wire, 487 words]

COMPLETE WELLNESS CLINICS UNDER CONTRACT INCREASE TO 84; NINE MORE WELLNESS CENTERS BEGINS OPERATIONS - COMPLETE WELLNESS CENTERS INC. , a Washington, D.C.-based developer and manager of integrated medical centers, announced today that it had signed management agreements, after due diligence, to integrate and develop seven more chiropractic clinics, bringing the total under contract to 84. [Business Wire, 232 words]

CAN MRI PREDICT MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS FOLLOWING OPTIC NEURITIS? - An isolated episode of optic neuritis may precede the development of multiple sclerosis , but the reported frequency of this sequence varies widely. [Journal Watch, 216 words]

HMOS COULD SHOW CONTINUED, POSSIBLY DEEPER LOSSES IN 1997-98, WITH COST PRESSURES AIDING RECOVERY BY 1999 -- MILLIMAN AND ROBERTSON. - SHORT-TERM HMO PREMIUM SPIKES APPEAR UNLIKELY, panelists suggested at an April 10 forum sponsored by the Center for Studying Health System Change. The center is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. [Health News Daily, 543 words]

STUDY/ HIGHER HEALTH COSTS TO SLAM MIDDLE CLASS - A study released Wednesday predicts that middle-income families will bear the brunt of a projected surge in health-care costs over the next six years. For families with annual household incomes between $40,000 and $60,000, it's a familiar trend. [USA TODAY, 506 words]

PROTEIN FOUND THAT MAY PLAY ROLE IN PARKINSON'S - A protein called Nurr1 may play a key role in Parkinson's disease and could help researchers find new therapies, scientists said on Thursday. While an embryo develops, Nurr1 plays a role in forming the brain cells that make dopamine, a neurotransmitter. [Reuters, 256 words]